An Angel's Grudge, A Vampire's Hatred
by xIsisx
Summary: [Haitus until further notice.] Ryou. This name was widely known, as for the holder of the name? He's mystrious as the shadows. That is, until Bakura steps down from the throne. But all Ryou wants is revenge.
1. Omens of a Future

xIsisx: I needed something deep to get me away from my humor stories. And so one dark night, I went to bed as usual and a whole new world opened up in front of me in my dreams, and I'm back again to share this with you. And I have the next chapters written already so whether you review or not, I'm gonna keep on writing this story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh and this story isn't set in the YGO world anyway. I do own the plot and the "vampire language" used in this story and um... oh yeah, I own the entire vampire world! MWAH! (in this story anyway...)

By the way, you will NOT find out everything in just this chapter, this story will have suspense and cliffhangers. This is non-yaoi so if you're looking for yaoi, uh, go away and read some of my other storys.

"Maaliku" is hikari Marik. "Maaliku" is how "Marik" is meant to be pronouced in the original Japanese anime. The "aa" makes an "aah" sound.

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Please read the above before continuing.

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"That's it?" A cold voice sneered from its position in the shadows.

"Yes, my king…" The servant who said this fidgeted, almost seemingly anxious, "We apologize, but she was the best one we could find…"

The figure on the throne crouched a bit out of the darkness to peer more closely at the body, "Tainted, I suppose?"

"Yes, but-"

The excuse was waved off with one hand, "Yes, yes, I know. Mortals, so rare are the ones that remain pure, but tell me," His crimson eyes swiveled to his servant, "Why not seek out the untainted children, or are you _afraid_?" He put a delicate stress on the last word.

The servant shifted slightly, "The mortals will get suspicious if too many… killings… start to occur within one area."

His king laughed airily, a sharp and hollow sound that made his bones grind.

"The mortal world will soon be awakened to the presence of our race, but no matter," He continued briskly, "Expand the area allowed for the killings, and, at the present time, if this is all we have…" He looked down at the body in distain.

The servant nodded curtly and swept away. The king got up gracefully off the throne and walked over to the lifeless body, his cloak dragged behind him. He leaned down and sank his teeth into the neck of the victim, drawing out crimson blood, which he fed upon. The bloods of the tainted were never as quite good as ones of the pure. Pure blood had freshness to it, like a sharp breath of mint, but the tainted blood was stale, worn out by that they've been through.

When he was done, he got back on his feet and resumed his position on the throne, slowly reaching out with a slim hand to the anime that had been sitting quietly next to the throne. He stroked its glistening white fur for a moment before allowing it to finish off the body.

"You may go feed now, Zashii." He said in a voice barely above a whisper.

The wolf like creature bounded forward eagerly, snapping its jaws around the arm of the dead body. The little blood remaining stained the carpet even more.

"Please Zashii," He said in an amused voice as a hand rolled its way next to his fee, "Could you be a little more docile?"

Zashii bared its teeth at him in an unmistakable grin before returning to attacking at leg.

The king watched Zashii's rampage with narrowed eyes, but it was not Zashii he was thinking of. The time was arriving… soon, and he didn't know how much longer he'll be able to hold on. A surprisingly large number of humans had already spotted the vampires. They had been killed, of course, but not before the rumors had spread like wildfire. It was impossible to track down every single worthless mortal who bore the knowledge of vampires in his mind.

He played with a stray strand of his silvery white hair before letting it fall against his shoulder carelessly. So many secrets must be kept.

"And yet, so little time," He whispered to himself before rising and walking over to the window. He raised one black wing to shield himself from the dawn's rays. The kingdom he ruled over looked peaceful at this time.

"But fore how long, Bakura?" A voice asked behind him. He shifted slightly to see who it was, but did not turn around completely.

"Maaliku," He sighed, "What did I tell you about using my name?"

The vampire, Maaliku, licked his lips and smirked, "I know, I know. _Only when needed._ But why?"

Bakura focused his attention back to the cities outside, "That, I'll keep to myself."

"As did every other king before you," The other one scoffed.

"With the exception of the most former one," Bakura said distractedly, "He was a fool, he nearly destroyed our kingdom."

"And we have you to thank for bring the kingdom back on its feet," Maaliku said dryly.

Bakura noticed this tone, "Fool, mock me and you'll regret it."

Maaliku grinned deviously before falling silent. A few minutes passed between them, in which Zashii finished her meal and trotted happily to her master's heels and laying down, content. Bakura stared out of the window, eyes unfocused. Maaliku was still silent and unmoving.

Bakura curled his hand into a fist, his long and sharp fingernails digging into his palm.

"_Etsh mutar laguda winmarsi._" He hissed in an ancient vampire tongue at long last.

Maaliku was not as fluent in the language, but he knew it well enough to understand what the king was saying, "_Pizada_?"

"_Enu…_"

"Very well," With that Maaliku slithered away.

"Oh. One more thing Maaliku."

The addressed person stopped, "Yes?"

The kings lips curled into a sneer, "Remember, with every goal, a little _blood_ must shed…"

Maaliku inclined his head, nodding, "Understood."

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xIsisx: -chuckles- Blood, eh? 


	2. Omens of a Beginning

xIsisx: I personally don't like this chapter as much as the 1st one, but oh well. Things will start to get more intresting in the next chapter, I promise. And there probably won't be any pairings in this story and about the language thingy, well, uh, most of what they say forshadows what will happen next, but the same forshadowing can be found in other parts of the chapter. So don't bug me about the language thingmabober.

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

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Bakura stepped into the light, raising his head slightly. The crowds below instantly stopped fidgeting. He swung out his right arm. So that his dark purple velvet cape, which had been wrapped around his body, flung out with style. His wings arched, as if taking flight, but this was only to make him look more threatening. 

"Vampires and vampiresses," He addressed down below from his balcony at the dark masses, he thought he saw a flash of white but dismissed it as a trick of the light, "You have been called here today, at noon, to receive invitations. But first," He raised his head to the sun, an impressive feat for a vampire, "If you can't take the sun's rays, I suggest you leave _now_."

A few of the vampiresses scattered, and the crowds hastily made ways for them. The king's smirk went quite unnoticed. The female species always had to put their appearance first.

Bakura adopted a serious tone before continuing, "The rest of you," The crowd's attention immediately snapped to their king as he spoke.

"This kingdom – Delpmav – has stood for more centuries than we can trace back. Every ruler and king has left his mark in our history. But when the smallest mistakes add up, the results can be catastrophic. I have been the longest ruler yet, ruling for more than five centuries – but everything must come to an end."

He paused for a moment to let his words sink in. Some of the elderly ones looked grave, seeing as they had heard some of the other kings say this speech. However, the new generation looked confused to the brink of troubled. But they all, young and old, stiffened, as though waiting for an attack.

"It is _time_," He continued softly, the crowd edge forward, straining to hear what he had to say, "Everything has to fall. I abandon the throne," He said, voice rising louder, "It's time to find the one who is destined to be the heir, and this kingdom shall be under his rule, until the next prophecy."

A hush fell upon the crowds. Bakura approved this. If they were making any noises, it signals that they were glad to see him go.

His hand reached for the latch near his neck, the cape fell into the crook of his arm, and he threw it on the banister of the balcony, signaling his resignation. He folded his wings, withdrawing his power over the kingdom.

Accepting the people's silent admiration, he stepped into what was _his_ castle and was relieved from the sun; Maaliku will handle the rest of the speeches, as well as the instructions for those wishing to become the successor. He will continue to live in the castle until the heir has taken his place.

Unlike most other races, the position of "king" in the vampire kingdom was not judged on your bloodlines, it was based on your ability to rule and your pure nerves. Bakura had always strongly agreed with this method of choosing a leader rather than having his son become the leader. Not that he _had_ a son, he bemused mildly.

Just then, Maaliku returned and didn't even attempt to hide his relief from finally escaping the sun. He seemed quite distracted by something, and did not see Bakura in plain view in the room.

"White… how very extraordinary…" Maaliku muttered, apparently deep in though.

"What's extraordinary?" Maaliku jumped at Bakura's voice, making the former king smirk amusedly.

"Nothing," Maaliku gave a slight bow, "It's just something my eyes tricked me into seeing." He said lightly.

Bakura, who wasn't fooled, surprisingly did not press the matter, and switched on to a different topic.

"How many signed up?"

"Some number around five hundred, give or take a dozen."

"Quite a number," Bakura paused, thinking, "And this will be held on the seventh day, I presume?"

"Correct. Additionally, a few females tried to smuggling in their disguises. But the guards took them away." Maaliku added satisfyingly.

Bakura was highly amused by this, though not surprised, "It's no big shocker, is it though? Now if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare myself, as you very well know."

"Yes sir, it is understood."

Bakura gave curt nod and climbed the many spiral staircases leading to his room. Normally he would fly here, but the present situations at hand, he though it'd be better to walk.

He called for Zashii once he finally reached the top level, and Zashii materialized instantly next to his side, looking remorse.

"Master, has the time come?" Zashii asked in a deep voice.

Bakura sat down in an armchair and crossed his legs.

"You know very well, Zashii, that yes, the time has come." He said, with a touch of mock in his voice.

Zashii made a noise somewhat of a cross between a snarl and growl. Bakura raised a slim eyebrow at this.

"Ah yes Zashii, when I go, you have to serve a different master, isn't that right?"

She turned her head toward the window indifferently; Bakura took this as a silent 'yes'. However, he thought it strange that Zashii would mind this, seeing as she had served more than six different kings without complaint.

"I've never met one like you." She said quietly.

This sparked his curiosity, "I am touched, but what is different about me?"

She refused to turn away from the window, however her back stiffened slightly.

"I call the time of the last six rulers "The Chaotic Dynasty". For reasons I'll keep to myself. But you," Zashii cocked her head slightly, so that she could see him out of the corner of her eye, "You bought with you supreme powers and valued wisdom. And ended The Chaotic Dynasty."

Bakura was surprised but he had always been good at hiding his emotions, and he was just as clever.

"And you don't think the successor will rule up to my standards?"

Zashii snorted, "What are the chances?"

His face bore a shadow of a smile, "I promise you Zashii, you will not be disappointed."

Zashii merely looked at him with a face of doubt before stalking away, but Bakura heard her mutter something just before she vanished, something that somehow reassured him, although he did not understand what it meant.

"_Enu… balklay raamica… wasseh icamal…_"

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xIsisx: I would like to clear somethings up about Zashii, incase I can't incorperate them into the story later. Zashii is an _amegadon _(ah-meh-gah-don), an extreamly rare cross between a werewolf and fox. They can live for thousands of years and can sometimes see the future. Their body type is like a wolf, but the snout and ears are like a fox. Their coats are a light cream color and strips of white can be found on their legs. 

You don't _need_ to know this information about some animal I made up, but it will help you to visualize Zashii.


	3. Omens of a Warning

xIsisx: In this chapter, we introduce... um, just go read it yourself. And... uh, what was I gonna say? Oh yeah, my b-day ish in two days! ˆ-ˆ (july 29th)I'm getting a year's subscription of Shonen Jump ...and something else, but I forget, so anyway, on with-

Bakura: ON WITH THE CURSED STORY ALREADY!

xIsisx: o.O scaaary person

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Bakura gave a start at the sight of the vampire boy on the screen. By tradition, he was to watch at least the first and semi-final match of the battle to become the vampire king. Though he doubted there had ever been such a… queer, if you will, contender. 

"Maaliku," He called slowly.

"Yes?" Maaliku appeared out of thin air next to where Bakura was sitting.

"Who - or what - is that?" He gestured towards the screen.

Maaliku shifted his gaze up at the screen and gave a resigned look.

"I don't know, we only managed to get his name… Ryou, he calls himself. He refused to give us more information other than that, we only allowed him to compete because he showed us a impressive display of magic… other than that…"

Bakura gave a small smirk up at the screen, "Ryou…" He said slowly, "Doesn't that mean 'fire dragon'?"

"It is assumed so, yes."

Ryou stepped on to the slightly raised field for the match and looked for his opponent. The cloak he wore had a hood that shadowed his pale face, giving him a haunted look.

"Looking for me?" A sharp voice said suddenly. Ryou raised his head slightly and saw a silhouetted frame swooping down to the arena.

"Heh," The figure said, taking his place on the opposite side of Ryou, "I am Hilaat, can't say I'm really pleased to meet you though."

Ryou disliked his voice, it sounded casual, but he could detect poison in it, he would have to be careful this time.

"I've heard about you," Hilaat continued, as if the two were best friends chatting about sports, "You were the one that caused a scene during the sign up, is it true that you killed one of the king's guards to show off your magic?"

Ryou gave a short nod, it was true, though, the only reason he 'showed off his magic' was because if he honestly told them exactly who he was, it would raise awkward questions.

Hilaat laughed, and shook his head, causing his spiky flame red hair to sway, "Well then, now that the introductions are over, shall we begin?"

Ryou nodded again and in a split second, the two shot off the ground and into the air. Ryou drew back his cloak slightly so it fluttered around his ankles.

Hilaat narrowed his eyes, "Heh, show off, but we already agreed on that, didn't we?"

Ryou merely gave Hilaat a paralyzing look, literally. It froze Hilaat, making him unable to move. However, he did no more than that and allowed the spell to drain.

"What the-?" Hilaat spluttered after the spell wore off, "Non-verbal spells?"

Ryou gave a small smirk, "You've caught on quickly, haven't you?" He spoke for the first time.

"Hah, don't let it go to your head." Hilaat smirked and quickly chanted a short spell, a stream of water shaped like a dragon shot out of nowhere, lunging for Ryou.

He dodged it quickly, though a small part of his cloak ripped from speed of the water. He raised his palm to the water dragon as it lunged for him again and the dragon was turned to ice, and fell down to the ground, where there was a satisfying cracking sound of the ice breaking.

Hilaat scowled, "Looks like I can't afford to pull any punches here."

"You're quite right, and now, it's my turn." Ryou said quietly and a strange dark layer of aura formed around him. He shot some of the aura at his opponent, but Hilaat muttered an enchantment and the aura bounced off some kind of invisible mirror.

"Impressive that your force field could deflect that," Ryou commented.

Hilaat sneered, "You honor me."

He sent some razor sharp leaves spinning to Ryou, who dodged them, but they turned and kept attempting to hit him. Ryou casted a spell and the leaves suddenly burned up. He turned and found Hilaat off to the side, looking smug.

A shimmer in the air caught Ryou's eye; in fact, there were shimmers all around him.

"Figured it out, haven't you?" Hilaat said, almost lazily, and then a flash of white caught his eye. It was his opponent's left wing. He did not see it before because Ryou had always been facing him at an angle where his wing was not visible.

Ryou saw Hilaat's face turn from smug to revolted, though he knew exactly what Hilaat was surprised about, he took this unguarded moment to break through the barrier that had been cast around him.

"Yes, Hilaat, I'm a _wesseh damogger_…" He whispered, so that Hilaat could hear him, but it seemed like he was telling himself.

Up in the tower, Bakura raised an eyebrow, a _wesseh damogger_, eh?

Maaliku coughed at this unexpected news, "Should we disqualify him… sir?"

Bakura leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs, "No, no, I'm quite curious as to how a mere _half breed_ like him can perform such extraordinary magic… He'll live, for now."

Zashii appeared as Maaliku nodded. She curled next to the chair and watched the screen interestedly. It was just as she suspected, a _wasseh damogger_… a _raehaba imacal…_

Ryou's eyes were empty and devoid of emotion as he fired curses one by one at the greatly weakened Hilaat. They both knew he had won.

Hilaat yelled as Ryou's spell sent him rocketing towards to ground. He managed to land on his side instead of his back.

Ryou swooped down and hovered next to Hilaat, who laughed, in spite of his injuries.

"Fine, you win," Hilaat grinned, "But tell me, what is it _you_ hope to gain?"

For a fleeting second, Hilaat thought he glimpsed a flash of pain in Ryou's eyes, but it was gone the next second. Ryou looked towards the vampire king's castle and said one word, softly.

"Avengement…"

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xIsisx: Don't think too hard about the meaning of this chapter, you'll hurt yourself. 

Bakura: I am so not in character.

Ryou: And neither am I...

xIsisx: -shifty eyes- Well, the vampire king is suppose to be potrayed as a kind of cool, calm evil... only tone down the evil a little. And Ryou, well, I can't say anything or I'll blurt something out that I'll regret later.


End file.
